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Donald Rauth, 87, Aerospace Industry Execute, Dies

J. Donald Rauth, a former chairman of the Martin Marietta Corporation, which through a merger became part of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, died on Dec. 28 in Washington. He was 87 and lived in Chevy Chase, Md.

The cause was a heart attack, his family said.

Mr. Rauth (pronounced roth) spent 43 years with Martin Marietta and its predecessors. He joined the fighter aircraft maker Glenn L. Martin Company of Middle River, Md., in 1940, and rose as an aerospace engineer after the war.

He was a project chief engineer and manager of Martin Marietta's Titan missile division before moving to the corporate side, becoming chief executive in 1972. He retired as chairman in 1983.

He played a crucial part in one of the era's most remarkable corporate takeover fights involving a hostile and ultimately failed bid by the Bendix Corporation. Bendix had acquired a majority of Martin Marietta shares, but Martin Marietta's management was able to start a hostile takeover of Bendix. In the end, Martin Marietta survived and Bendix was bought by the Allied Corporation. The boardroom struggle and Martin Marietta's defense strategy turned into a case study for graduate students of business.

John Donald Rauth was born in Pitman, N.J. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree from the Drexel Institute of Technology, now Drexel University, in 1940. A chair was established in his name at Drexel's business management school.

Mr. Rauth is survived by his wife of 62 years, Catherine Burns Rauth; a son, Dr. John D. Jr.; a daughter, Kathryn R. Rizik; and three grandchildren, all of Washington; as well as a sister, Nancy V. Smith of Fort Mill, S.C.